On My Way Running
by Yeghishe
Summary: An alternate universe story told in 1000 word chapters. Sesshōmaru finds and pursues a gifted human mate in a transformed London.
1. I

**I.**

* * *

I am on my way running,  
I am on my way running,  
Looking towards me is the edge of the world,  
I am trying to reach it,  
The edge of the world does not look far away,  
To that I am on my way running.

_-Anonymous  
"Song for a Young Girl's Puberty Ceremony"  
Translated by Frances Densmore  
Taken from __A Child's Anthology of Poetry__ edited by Elizabeth Hauge Sword_

* * *

**London, Late March**

* * *

Sesshōmaru pushed open the door of the tiny bookshop and tearoom, breathing deeply as the scent of old books and hot tea wafted over him. The owners, an elderly couple, had saved this tiny slice of last century London on this quiet corner.

Usually the same local people came to this hidden gem but today Sesshōmaru noticed a young woman he didn't recognize curled up on the window seat, her black hair cut just below her ears in a shining bob.

The shelves were stuffed full of both new and old books, and the Black Horse Tearoom had become something of a lending library to the locals. Sesshōmaru pulled out a worn copy of Ayn Rand's Anthem and sat at an empty table near the woman. Mrs. Japp waved at him from behind the counter and Sesshōmaru nodded back. She knew his usual order by this time, he had been coming to this tearoom every chance he had for close to fifteen years even the last five he had spent in Ireland.

Brushing his snowy white bangs out of his eyes and opened to the familiar first page. The door to the shop opened and a gust of wind flowed across the room as the delicate bells over the door tinkled. All at once Sesshōmaru went ramrod straight, pupils dilated with only the tiniest ring of chatoyant amber still visible and his mouth slightly open.

_She_ was here.

Somewhere.

He could smell her.

His eyes immediately went to the customer walking in, an elderly male. He made a quick scan of the quiet shop his eyes stopping on the girl with the night-dark hair. Her neck curved delicately as she lifted her light blue teacup halfway to her rose colored lips and paused for a moment—arrested by something she was reading. Leaning forward slightly he took a deep breath… yes it was her. After three hundred years he had found _his_ mate. Sesshōmaru continued to stare at the back of her head and just focused on breathing. How had he not noticed her scent immediately? He had been waiting for this meeting for so long, perhaps he had begun to take his desires for granted.

"Here you are love." Mrs. Japp's familiar voice cut through Sesshōmaru's thoughts.

"Cheers." He glanced down at the familiar spread: two sandwiches on dark bread, a pot of tea and a full plate of scones, today they smelled like oranges.

"Lookin' at that pretty lass?" Mrs. Japp lowered her voice.

Sesshōmaru smiled slightly at her, "So I am." Without any further comment he bit into the first sandwich and pretended to read. He didn't taste anything of his lunch and he didn't read a single word of the book for a full thirty minutes. The girl continued gracefully sipping her tea and reading her book, oblivious to Sesshōmaru, giving him time to study her. She was wearing business casual clothes, dark slacks and a plain dove gray turtleneck sweater. She had silver earrings with dangling teardrop shaped sky blue stones. A light green wool coat was laid over the window seat near her. She turned to pour more tea and Sesshōmaru noted the light dusting of freckles over her pale nose.

Sesshōmaru's mind raced.

He needed a plan: an amazing, fail-safe plan.

Planning was one of Sesshōmaru's strengths.

For no particular reason, there had been no human matings in his pack over a hundred and fifty years, since his father and Izayoi. This called for an exceptional strategy.

Obviously the first part of his strategy: find out everything he could about _her_.

Standing, he fished out his wallet absently and left the pound notes tucked under his teacup saucer and walked through shop. Sesshōmaru replaced Anthem on the shelf and tugged his phone out of his pocket. He pretended to check his messages while snapping a photo of _his girl_.

Sesshōmaru ducked outside as he programmed an email address and sent the photograph. The phone rang a few second later.

"Sesshōmaru."

"Lord Sesshōmaru its Jaken." The squeaky voice sounded on the other end.

Sesshōmaru turned towards the window of Black Horse so he could catch a glimpse of _her_ through the window. "I need information on the female in the photo. No name, just a face."

Jaken sighed, but offered no resistance.

"If anyone can get me her info its you. Hack into the police database, classified files, anything you have to, I'll cover any fallout." Sesshōmaru started pacing and stopped himself.

"Yes sir." And the line clicked dead.

Sesshōmaru smiled slightly and then immediately frowned. The girl shut the book and rose from the window, disappearing as she walked deeper in the shop. Sesshōmaru pulled up the collar of his overcoat and ducked around the corner of the shop as she paid her bill and returned the book to its place. Sesshōmaru followed her from a distance to a shabby apartment building a block over. She walked slowly with her head down but her stride was strong and graceful.

His phone rang and he answered it gruffly. "Sesshōmaru."

"Sir, I shifted through the bullocks." It was Jaken.

"I have an address."

Jaken snorted softly, "No need."

Sesshōmaru was impressed. "That was fast even for you Jaken."

"Luckily she works for ParaPsyCorps. I emailed you the personnel file and the files you need to request a transfer from Northern Ireland." Jaken was practically a mind reader but this was what Sesshōmaru paid him for.

"Her name?" Sesshōmaru ground out, his throat tight from anticipation.

"Rin Dane." The line clicked dead.

Sesshōmaru jogged back to the Black Horse and nosed through the shelves smelling the books until he found the one she had been reading. It smelled so strongly she must have been here reading for some time.

"Just this Japp." He placed the book on the counter and counted out the bills with elegant fingers.

A Child's Anthology of Poetry was an interesting choice for him. Japp raised an eyebrow but made no comment.

* * *

_Prompt Chatoyant [like a cat's eye] from alphaDictionary's article regarding the 100 most beautiful words in the English Language.  
A warning that this is going to be quite AU._


	2. II

**II.**

* * *

**London, Early March **

* * *

Rin checked her notepad, "Kōga Martin" it said, "Floor 11, 9:30". It was 8:45.

She climbed the expansive stone steps to the imposing front doors of the Parapsycological Information Corporations International Headquarters. Known more simply as ParaPsyCorps London. Since the discovery of manifest psychic abilities in the last hundred years different organizations had developed all over the world to identify people with psychic abilities and educate them. ParaPsyCorps was one of the largest and most well respected of these organizations. They had offices in most of the major cities in America, Africa, Asia, and Europe.

The hall was cream marble and had rows of elevators on either side. There were no buttons to call the elevators.

The floor stretched out before her, the ParaPsyCorps logo set in marble. Triangles met at the tips as if mirrored, one had a dog's profile facing right and the other a human profile facing left. The triangles were black but the human face was white stone and the dog was a rich red. The outlines and details were picked out in a brass-like metal.

A brass elevator door opened into a warm crimson interior to her right with a whir and quiet "ding".

A young auburn haired man in a dark suit held the door. "Rin Dane?"

She glanced up in surprise. "That's me." Her voice was huskier then one would expect from a woman her size.

"Kōga Martin is expecting you."

Rin frantically checked her wristwatch as she hastened towards the elevator. It read "8:48". "Has Mr. Martin been waiting long?"

The young man smiled, "Not at all, you are a bit early but he did not want to keep you waiting." There were no buttons inside the elevator either.

The receptionist behind the desk smiled at Rin and her guide as they stepped off the elevator. The room was bright with sunlight from the floor to ceiling windows that lined two walls.

A man in a dark suit appeared at the top of the glass staircase that hung in the center of the office suspended from the ceiling by metal rods. He was tall and broad-shouldered. He ran his fingers absently through his dark hair before descending the steps to greet her with a firm handshake.

"Rin Dane. Pleasure. I am Kōga Martin. Thank you Shippō." He nodded at the boy who brought her up. "Just fetch us a tea tray would you? Good lad." He smiled at Rin, "Just up to my office please, Miss Dane."

Rin followed him mutely.

His office had a lovely view of the street below with a few scarlet buses going to and fro and pedestrians hurrying past, their coat collars pulled up around their ears against the wind.

Mr. Martin motioned her into one of the deep mauve chairs and took a seat across from her. A file was laid out on a small table between them.

Shippō came through the door with a tea tray loaded with little quiches and biscuits. Mr. Martin didn't touch the folder until Rin had a teacup in hand and a small plate loaded with redolent pastries.

"Pardon me Miss Dane, I haven't yet had breakfast." Mr. Martin smiled as he popped miniature spinach quiche in his mouth, his bright blue eyes crinkling at the corners.

Rin's lips curled upward. "Neither have I." She took a bite out of one of the biscuits as he flipped the file open.

"Your resume and application." Mr. Martin took a sip of his tea. "Now I have a few questions for you, just for clarification you understand. And then we have all our applicants complete a Zener profile. Just as a formality, your performance does not hold the ultimate sway here. Does that sound acceptable?"

Rin took a deep breath, "Of course."

"It shows here that you have never been tested for Parapsychological Intelligence. Is that correct?" Mr. Martin's manner was just as open and friendly as before but Rin felt sudden chill wash over her.

"No, never." She swallowed harshly and set her teacup down before he would see how her hands were shaking.

Mr. Martin nodded and made a small note on the file. "You were educated in a state boarding school?"

"Yes sir."

"No need to be alarmed Miss Dane, have another biscuit." Mr. Martin nudged the plate towards her hand.

Rin took one absently.

"You have not worked as a secretary before. Is that correct?"

"No sir, but…" She trailed off.

"Miss Dane?" He urged, chewing on another quiche.

She swallowed, "You can see my scores in the preliminary word-processing and filing tests are excellent."

Mr. Martin smiled kindly, "That I can. They are very impressive, which is why I am so surprised this is your first job of this kind."

Rin relaxed a little against the chair and took a sip of her tea.

"Now here you have noted that you live in an apartment nearby. Is that still the case?"

"Yes sir, all of my personal information is current."

"Excellent." Mr. Martin closed the file and stood. "This looks to be just in order. I will ask Mrs. Priest to administer the Zener Test at this time."

Rin was asked to predict the symbol on a card she could not see by a woman introduced as Sango Priest. "Just relax, say the first thing you think of."

Rin took her advice and without Mr. Martin in the room it seemed easier to say silly things like: "Three vertical wavy lines." Or "A circle." Or "A five pointed star."

After fifteen minutes of going through the cards Mr. Martin returned and collected a single sheet of paper from Mrs. Priest.

"Well," Mr. Martin cleared his throat, "Everything looks just perfect, I'll just take you down to the processing floor. Is next Monday alright?"

"I'm sorry?"

"Is Monday alright for you to start working?" Mr. Martin tucked the sheet into the file.

"I… I got the job?"

"Oh how silly of me. Yes, yes. If you accept it."

* * *

_Prompt Redolent [fragrant]._


	3. III

**III.**

* * *

**London, Early April**

* * *

Rin stepped into her one room flat as the shadows were lengthening. She massaged her throbbing temples with one hand as she stumbled into the kitchenette. Depositing her bags on the dingy brown counter she worked the overflowing plastic bag out of the rubbish bin.

The ally was dim as she peeked out of the doorway across the scraggly yard towards the dumpsters. She took one step forward and then stopped short with a gasp.

A dog, huge and bright, was sitting ten feet from her doorstep.

Rin froze.

The dog cocked its head at her, its ears waving, and started wagging its tail as soon as it saw her. Did it belong to someone in the building? Rin swallowed. The dog was between her and her destination.

The dog seemed to sense her fear because it let out a low keening whine and lay down, the fur of it neck ruff billowing around its shoulders

Rin eased out of the doorway and began to make a slow wide arch around the white dog. It whined again and rolled on its side, exposing its stomach. Rin was wary but the dog made no move to get up. In fact its manner was completely nonthreatening, its size alone made her nervous.

Safely back in her flat she peaked out of the window to see the dog get up shake itself off and come lay down on the doorstep. It crossed its front paws, each with a delicate As if it could sense her stare it looked up at her, its pink tongue hanging out.

Rin could have sworn that it was smiling at her.

Rin turned on the small beat-up radio, her one indulgence, and began preparing a simple dinner. The dog stayed on the doorstep.

Day old bread, thin soup and bills—was this all she had to look forward to?

A hand-addressed envelope caught her eye; a letter from Kagura, finally.

"Dear Rin." Scanning the messy scrawl she found the usual pleasantries. Kagura sent her congratulations on the new job and varied questions about the city. Rin's eyes rested on the last few lines.

"Thank you so much for the little check you sent. Naraku is getting back into rehab and we are really counting on your help. With such a great new job you can surely spare a little more."

A change came over Rin. She turned a little pale and glanced at the bags of groceries on the counter. She had bought fruit and several cuts of beef, extravagance that could have been better spent on Naraku. She had meant the check to be a one time little celebration, so that Kagura and Naraku could share a little of her new life here in London. However, if Naraku needed the money she was sure she could shave more off of her living expenses. She refolded the letter, ashamed at her opulence.

The next evening Rin dropped her shoulder bag on the floor and rushed to the back door. The dog was there. It was pacing back and forth in the ally. She could see its muscles ripple under its sleek sides and across its legs.

As if it could sense her presence it froze and looked up at her.

Rin pulled back with a gasp and leaned against the wall suddenly out of breath. Somehow she had known it would be there. She had known when she had gotten dressed for work in the morning. She had known while she was filing color-coded papers for eight hours. She had known while riding the bus home.

The dog's presence was like a part of her conscious mind.

Rin made a cold dinner and ate it between glances to the ally. The dog stayed on her doorstep, watching. Somehow its presence was comforting. Rin went though her bills again, counting the pounds against her paycheck. A rebellion bloomed, flickering and soft in her heart, anger at the unfairness of life. The counting pennies, the little luxuries denied, and the dead end monotony.

How many times had she begged Naraku to go to treatment? For her, for Kagura. If not for them then perhaps for Kanna, Hakudōshi or baby Akago? Nothing had changed his mind.

A shadow crossed the table and Rin looked up to see the dogs head framed in the window, cocked to the side. She stood and moved closer watching the dog get excited at her coming.

They stood face to face; Rin tilted her head back to look into the dogs red eyes. It lifted one paw and placed it against the glass. Rin mirrored its action, realizing suddenly that the thin window would shatter if the dog leaned to heavily into it.

A scraping nose by the front door had the dog's ears pricking up and a low growl forming in the space between them. All at once he was on all fours again, thick tail swishing as he trotted around the corner of the dingy stone building to investigate. There was a comforting surety in its step. Rin waited by the window until it returned and lay down again. A solid presence on the doorstep.

With a sigh Rin turned to her mattress that lay shoved against the wall, shedding her work clothing on her way.

By the third day almost all Rin could think about was the dog. It wove through her thoughts like a bright beacon. On the way home she stopped by a corner store in a moment of guilty spontaneity.

She hurried from the bus stop with long strides gripping her peace offering like a talisman.

The dog was pacing the small yard when she threw open the backdoor. Its great head turned towards the sound and its tail began its mad wagging. It danced two steps toward her on huge paws and made a little bow by stretching its front legs out with its tail lifted high.

A smile bloomed on Rin's face as she held up her prize.

* * *

_Vocabulary word is Talisman [a good luck charm]. _  
_My apologize for the confusion in the last two chapters. They are in reverse chronological order, i.e. Chapter II is in early March and Chapter I is late March. Now we move forward into early April and will continue chronologically from here on._


	4. IV

**IV.**

* * *

**London, Mid April**

* * *

Sesshōmaru sat at his kitchenette table in his newly rented London apartment tossing the plain yellow ball back and forth between his hands. She had brought him a _ball_. She had brought _him_ a ball. He supposed this might be the first time a full-grown lycanthrope was given a tennis ball and expected to play with it. He smiled a little involuntarily. However it meant that Rin was warming up to him. He would treasure the gift that she offered.

Rin's personal file spread out around him. A bone china teacup steamed close at hand. He scanned the usual reports.

Family history: orphaned as an infant, no known family.

Education: raised in a state orphanage, and didn't apply for a university.

Criminal Background: nothing to note on her, although she had been called to witness against someone named Naraku Musō on a drug related charge.

Sesshōmaru paused to send Jaken an email request for Musō's files. If this Naraku had gotten her involved in anything that threatened her safety he would be made to regret it.

He flipped to her Zener scores and his eyes widened. Her psychic ability was off the charts for someone who had received no training. This was highly unusual considering that state schools were often on the front lines for receiving screening of their pupils. She should have been pulled out of the orphanage immediately following the manifestation of her gift.

Unexpectedly the phone rang.

"Sesshōmaru."

"This is your father. You resigned from Ireland?" The deep voice growled across the line.

Sesshōmaru sighed, "I need a month to sort out some personal matters. I'll join the London Corps in May."

"I saw the paperwork."

"Then you understand."

"What I understand is you are going into London as a _secretary_. What the hell?" Taishō's Japanese accent deepened with every word.

"Trust me?" Sesshōmaru massaged the bridge of his nose with two fingers.

"About as far as I could throw you pup. Pack meeting tomorrow—surely you have room in your busy vacation schedule for _that_?" Taishō's breathing had evened out but sarcasm was still heavy in his tone. "And Izayoi wishes to speak with you."

"Of course."

"I'm taking a call from your brother on the other line, see you tomorrow."

Sesshōmaru sighed again and turned his attention back to the file. He had seen the electronic copy earlier in the day but had stopped by ParaPsyCorps to get the physical file from his old friend Kōga Martin.

He had toyed with the idea of breaking into Rin's flat to learn more about her but decided against that. He had waited so long to find his mate, he could wait a few months longer and make sure he did it right.

He lifted the teacup to his lips, fingernail tapping against the china; eyes on the clock. He would leave in a few minutes. The clock chimed as he rinsed his teacup with practiced efficiency. He was out the door like a shot, pounding down the steps towards the secure door that lead to the busy street. In the usual dark corner of the cross street he transformed.

Scenting the air Sesshōmaru loped easily down the street, catching glimpses of scarlet as he kept time with the bus. He was on the back step when she opened the apartment door. He listened as she discarded her things on the floor and hurried to the back door. She flung it open with so much force it hit the inside wall. He backed up a few steps and looked up at her, dropping the tennis ball at her feet with a whine.

She looked mussed, her hair disheveled and her eyes were red and dark shadowed. She took one look at him and burst into tears sinking to her knees in the doorway and wrapping her arms around herself.

Sesshōmaru whined again and inched closer. He had never yet touched her but her sobs drew him. He touched her knee through her skirt with his nose. She didn't react and emboldened he lifted his nose to her arm.

Rin moved then reaching out and wrapping her arms around his neck to bury her face in his voluminous ruff. He huffed and nuzzled her shoulder.

"I was so afraid you wouldn't be h-h-here." She sat back on her heels and began moving into the apartment on her knees.

Sesshōmaru hesitated and Rin looked back when she realized he wasn't following.

"Come?" She patted her knee but her tone held a question.

He followed then without hesitation as she invited him into her one room home. His red eyes took in the shabbiness of the few pieces of furniture, the table with uneven legs, chairs covered in cracking vinyl, the sagging mattress that rested on the floor without a frame or box spring.

She was talking to him in a low voice as she closed and locked the door. She had not yet stood up. "I'm just going to lock it, let me know if you want out." She crawled towards him, her tears gone for the moment leaving only glistening tracts of moisture behind. "I don't have anything for you to eat. I'm sorry. I don't have anything to eat either." Her breath choked up into a sob.

Sesshōmaru licked her cheek, tasting salt.

"Oh…" It came out as a half sob half moan and Rin's arms came around his neck again.

He lay awake beside her dominating the mattress and facing the room so that he could watch the doors. She was tucked between the bed and the wall her arm thrown over his back. She had covered them both with a threadbare blanket but it was his body that kept her warm. There was no heat coming from the vents and the windows rattled in their frames with every gust of wind.

Rin slept restlessly, dreaming making murmurous and frightened sounds and startling at every sound only to quiet when she realized he was still beside her.

* * *

_Vocabulary word is Murmurous [murmuring]._


	5. V

**V.**

* * *

**London, Mid April**

* * *

Rin woke taking a hurried inventory of her person, as she did every morning. The air was still; she was warm, but hungry. She basked in the strange halcyon contentment. It was Saturday; she would not be needed at work. Breathing deeply she scented a new smell: it was musky and masculine, wild, like evergreens and juniper.

Opening her eyes she encountered the silver-white ruff of _her_ dog, his gleaming sides rising and falling with each gentle breath. She buried her face in his shoulder, taking a deep breath. He answered with a deep rumble of contentment, shifting to curl his large head around her shoulder.

Only the insistence of her bladder stirred her from their nest.

When she returned the dog was sitting politely next to the bed. Suddenly shy, Rin put the battered flee market copper kettle on the hob. She got down two cups and saucers and set them on the floor, one for her and one for the dog.

There was some strange gravitas about him, something she could not place or understand. A film would flicker around him like an aura in the corners of her vision, only to disappear when she tried to catch it.

When the kettle began to sing she warmed the chipped ceramic teapot and scraped the last of the tea out of the tin. Settling herself on the floor she pored them each a weak but steaming cup and graciously nudged the teacup towards the dog.

She watched breathlessly as he lowered his shaggy head to delicately dip his pink jagged edged tongue into the tea. She felt almost like Hades in the Greek myth, tricking Persephone into nibbling pomegranate seeds in order to bind her to the underworld so he would not be alone. Only she was the one binding the dog to her faded empty apartment.

When their wretched tea was finished Rin let him out into the scraggly yard while she took a cold shower. She was careful to leave the door cracked so that he could come back inside but somehow she doubted that a shut door would keep him out if he sincerely desired to come in.

When she returned to the main room, wrapped up in her faded jeans and softest sweater she found him sitting next to the closed-door waiting. He cocked his head at her.

She took strength from his presences and the rumbling of her stomach. It had been a constant pain these last few days but today she would seize the bravery he offered.

Snatching up her purse before she could change her mind she ventured out into the chilly air, leading the way to the Asian corner market. He trotted by her side, a solid presence.

Her dog waited respectfully at the entrance while she pushed the glass door open. The brass bell hanging by a scarlet thread jingled cheerfully as she entered. She selected the dog's food first, trailing a hand over the brightly packaged bags of kibbles. Something held her back; it seemed almost disrespectful to feed such a magnificent, other worldly creature dry fare. She moved to the meat section and selected a cut of beef. She felt rebellious, taking money away from Naraku to feed the dog, but it felt liberating all the same. For herself she gathered a bag of jasmine rice, a tin of tea, miso paste, dried shitake mushrooms, a thick envelope of nori, and a large bag of frozen vegetables. Each item was a small victory.

The smiling grandfatherly man nodded to the canine sentry as she piled her items on the counter. "Yours?"

Rin beamed, "Yes, he…well, actually I think I might be his."

He smiled back and tucked a red foil packet of treats in her shopping bag, free of charge.

With a light heart Rin practically skipped her way back to the dingy flat.

She boiled her rice and made onigiri wrapped in nori and another pot of tea. She set the floor for dinner, deciding that picnicking was the best option. She laid out the meat for him on plate but he waited patiently for the onigiri to be formed and the tea pored before taking elegant bites of the raw beef. She was surprised to find him eyeing her rice and when she offered him one he snapped it up in two bites. It was almost like sharing a meal with a friend.

After lunch, when the drowsy contentment of a full stomach invited lazy confidences, Rin washed the dishes with the dog leaning on her legs. She did not speak but let the soft happiness of the afternoon envelop her.

As she dried the last dish she was suddenly overcome with an almost forgotten urge. Crossing to her bureau she dug in the bottom drawer, pulling out two battered shoeboxes.

He settled next to her as she opened the first box to reveal stacks of Polaroid's rubber banded together. She spread them around them: a few photographs of people were scattered here and there but most of them were landscapes, architecture or objects. She opened the second box, revealing a large Polaroid camera and neat rows of unused packets of film paper. She caressed the grey-cased camera with gentle care. She loaded the paper roll with deft fingers and turned to look at the curious face of the dog. It was obviously 1950's vintage and popped open with a click as the bellows extended the lens.

"I haven't taken any pictures in ages."

He cocked his head and Rin continued the conversation.

"Nothing worth photographing." She closed the case with a gentle snap. "Until now." She lifted the camera to her eye and snapped a photograph.

He moved then, posing for her. First facing away and looking over his shoulder, then laying on his stomach, then with his trademark head tilt, that extraordinary ragged tongue lolling out of the corner of his mouth. Finally she scooted next to him and took one of them side-by-side.

* * *

_Vocabulary word is Halcyon [calm; quiet; peaceful; undisturbed; happy]._

_Rin's camera is a Polaroid Land Model 80 Highlander. It was designed for Polaroid type 30 instant roll film, that they stopped making about 20 years ago. As I understand, it can be retrofitted with 120 roll film. However, I am going to claim artistic license and pretend they still make film for it in my world._


End file.
